LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9681, 4 January 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The first motor to be taken out to Castlepoint left Masterton on Saturday last, s.nd was driven by Mr K. Johnston. The roads were found to be in good order, and the , trip was a pleasant one. The party driven out returned to Masterton last evening. The usual meeting of Endeavour Lodge, 1.0. G.T., was heldjast evening, Bro. Morris, C.T., being in the chair. Routine business was transacted. One member was initiated into the Order. Fraternal ereetings were received from Southern Cross, Bloemfontein, and Perseverance Temples, and were heartily reciprocated.

For a third year in succession there is evidence of a declining birth rate and of a permanent excess of deaths over birth"in France. For the first half of 1909 the births are 398,710, or 12,692 fewer, and the deaths are 426,913, or 25,019 more than in the corresponding period of 1908; and there is an excess of deaths over births of 28,203. An interesting fact in connection with gold-dredging was mentioned to a "Mataura Ensign" representative by one who has a good deal to r>o with the industry. It was that on swampy land when washing down is in progress a large quantity of shot is always met with as the result of the shooting of game on the swamps since the breech-loading guns have • been generally used. Naturally the heavy shot sinks through the perforated plates together with the gold, and there it remains until the mats are removed and washed.

The monthly meeting of the Masterton E'riendly Societies' Councii was held last evening, at the Foresters' Hall, Bro.P. Smith (Oddfellows) presiding. The secretary was instructed to call a meeting of -Wairarapa delegates at Carterton on January 13th to receivee the report and balance sheet of the picnic* Bros. Rue (Foresters), and Chapman (Hibernians), were .appointed auditors of the balance sheet. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the Masterton donors of trophies to the picnic. The President congratulated the' members of the Picnic Committee on their efforts in making the Boxing Day outing at Pigeon Bush a success

A number of youths at Leesville, Louisiana, put an opossum in a package and addressed it to Presidentraft. It was left; in the post office aver night, and on Sunday it was iiscovered that the animal had ihewed up all the letters in the bag in which it had been placed. The estimated harvest yields for Taranaki for the year 1909-10 are as follows: Wheat, 10,000 acres, 36,00u bushels; oats, 3,500 acres, 147,000 bushels; baney, 1,200 acres, 54,000 bush«ls; ryegrass, 150 acres, 4,500 bushels; potatoes, 600. acres. 4,200 tons. The hguies for turnips and rape are not given in the estimates. According to the"Wairoa Guar dian, a Waikaremoana settler, through whose property the Waikaretaheke flows for a shct distance, is about t-> make an attempt to harness the water power, and make it work for him, instead of tunning to waste, [t is proposed to erect a turbine to generate electricity, which he proposes to use in order to light his residence, run his sheep-shearing plant cut firewood and chaff, and do the hundred and one things required on a station. J'he Gore correspondent* of the "couthland limes" says:—A story is going the rounds of a little incident which is saidt) have oc urred nt a church not so very far out of Gore. A rtveiend gentlem n was interrupted in the course of bib sern.on by a cnild crying, and when the moiht r rose to take the infant outside ho appealed to nir to stay, sayinn th it the child did not disturb him in ihe least. With a pitying sriiiie at his ignorauce of facts, the fond parent replied "No sir! It's you who disturbed the baby," and jut she vent.

A few days ago a photograph which will serve to record a very interesting incident, was taken by Mr Burrows, of Inglewoo.l. The occupants of the bitteis' chairs were two brothers—Mr Frank Clough, of Inglewuod, and Mr John Clough, of the Vancouver Police Force, who met a week or so go for the first time after an absence of 60 years. Mr Frank Clough will be 84 years of age on April 12th next;, and Mr John Clough 80 on March Ist next. The* latter, however, is still on the active service list and -leaves New Zealand on January let next to resume his duties in the Vancouver Police.—"Taranaki Herald."

That erratic politician, Mr T. E.Taylor, M.P., describes Mr Massey's stonewall on the Reeves vote as "an exhibition o<' idiocy." says the \ "Palmerstun Standard." The term would fittingly apply to many of Mr Taylor's actions in and out of Parliament. As a politician he is neither, "fish, flesh, fowl nor good red herring," and the electors of Christchurch North are to be condoled with in their representation in Parliament- Mr Taylor received a lesson from the Christchurch electors in 1905, but he does not appear to have profited by it, and he is pursuing the same old tactics in the House. According to Mr Taylor there is only-one honest politician in the country, and that man is the mem-, ber for Christchurrh North. Mr Massey described Mr Taylor as a "politicallshmail," and there are a good many, in the community who will agree With him that the term is titling and appropriate. The Pollard Opera Company has definitely decided to eliminate the juvenile element from its ranks, and to restore the company to the same i status.as it held prior to its leaving ! New Zealand some years ago for an extended tour of South Africa and Australia. With this purpose in view, the management recruited new artists. They have engaged Mr Wil frid Hilaray,, a well- known English baritone, to play the part of the bandmaster in "Miss Hook of Holland," and also Mr. A.- S. McKay, a baritone recently with the Julius Knight Company. This gentleman will appear in "The Belle of Cuba," a musical comedy which was produced in Christchurch on Boxing Day. Other engagements include Miss Collins, a particulary charming singing soubrette and danseuse; Miss Cummings, a mezzo-soprano; and Miss Nelson, a contralto. About a dozen uther voices have been engaged for strengthening the chorus and playing minor parts. Some of these artists have already armed, and others will come to New Zealand week by week as their Australian engagements expire. . During the discussion on the Railway Estimates, Mr Millar, speaking of the reduced train service between Masterton and Wellington, said that through sending the Napier service over the Manawatu a saving of £14,000 would be effected per year. The running distance had been reduced by over 320 miles per day. The Minister stated that engines were not going to be imported—they weie not going to send out of New Zealand foi a single thing they could get insida. The engines manufactured in New Zealand were doing excellent work. As to the rates on the Manawatu line, he said the rates now charged for goods carried over it were simply the ordinary gazetted rates. If it was found that water-borne trade was affecting the traffic on the line a change might have to be made, but in the meantime the traffic was very heavy.

is Australia to remain helplessly dependent on its coal supply? To what extent can it look to oil as a substitute? Thee are questions, says the "Melbourne Age," that every Manufacturer in the monwealth, as well ad thousands of householders, have lately been asking themselves. A3 an instance of the way in which the strike is promoting the use of oil in some direc' tions as a substitute for coal or gas, it is mentioned that in Sydney during the past month the sale of oil stoves has gone up 60 per cent. If the strike continues a similar movement will no j doubt be recorded in Melbourne. As I it is, the '"small users"—that is, ! those who control portable engines, and the great variety ot agricultural machines that were at one time driven only by steam—are availing themselves of oil fuel to an almost daily increasing extent. There are oil and shale works in New South Wales which raised 47,331 tons of lcersene shale in 1907, valued at £32,055, an increased yield of 14,885 tons over the previous year. Given proper facilities for development, this output could be indefinitely extended, with a result that might minimise coal troubles in the future.

At the Police Court, yesterday morning, before Mr Eli Smith, J.P.,. a first offending inebriate was fined ss, in default 24 hours' imprisonment. Two full trolley, loads of raided liquor in cask and case were conveyed from the Waihi police station to th.e railway for transit to Thames, where the lot was sold by auction the day before Christmas. Treep, especially deciduous trees,, all over the-Wanganui district are now showing the effect of the salt apray with which they were dusted durirg the recent gale. The windwara tides of ail but the hardiest trees are withered and the leaves ( are rapidly turning browu. A Press Association telegram fromPalmerston North states that FWhitehouse, who was injured when Arcadia ft 11 with him in the hurdlesat the Bulls race-; yesterday, is lying in a critical condition at the Palmerston North Hospital. He ib still unconscious. At the annual meeting of the Masterton" Methodist Sunday School _ officers and teachers ht Id last evening, the following officers were elected or the ensuing-year:—Superin-tendent, Mr C. E. Daniell (reelected) ; vice superintendent, Mr J. A. Donald: secretary, Mr R. J. McIver (re elected); assistant secretary* Mr S. G. Cresswell (r*-elected); treasurer, Mr J. Heyhoe (re-elected), librarian, Mr P. Church (reelected); musical director, Mr S. Ralph (reelected). ~'■'■■

A uereral meeting of the Waira- % rapa Amateur Swimming Club will be held to-morrow °vening in the Y.M.C.A: Room*, at 8 o'clock, to receive rrports of the various carnival committees.andpeneral. Ladies willing t" assist at the forthcoming carnival, in com ee ion with the: J Wairarapa Amateur Swimming Club, to be held on Anniversay Day. January 24th. are elsewhere invited to meet at the Y.M C.A. rooms at half-past seven to-morrow evening. A striking example of regular school attendance was mentioned by the headmaster; Mr C. D. Hardie, at the prize distribution at the West Gbristchurch District High School, when'-a..lad named Arthur Barnett, stepped forward for his at? tendance prize.;. Mr Hardie stated that the'lad had not missed one school day for eight years, and for the last three years he had had to travel twelve miles to the school and twelve miles back home. The lad was loudly 1 applauded by those present.

The value ot the bullion won from the mines in the . Auckland district during the past month ran into a total of £108,774 15s 9d. This, compared with the previous month's output, shows a decrease of £1,938 16s sd. the yield for that period being £110,173 12s 2d, compared with £108,250 for the corresponding period of last year. The final clean-up, will be made known this months thus enabling the complete gold returns for the 190y year to be given." Of the past month's total, the Ohinemuri field contributed £104,238 3s Id, the Thames field £2,687 7s Bd, and the Coromandel field £1,848 15s. J During the past six months the ' \ closing hours for grocers in Christchurch have been 6.30 p.m. on four days, in thfi week, 9.30 p m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Thursdays. A new requisition has been signed asking that the hours should be 8 p.m. on four days in the week, 10.30 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Thursday. This requisition has been certified to by the local authority as -representing the majority in tha trade. A protest has been made by grocers who favour the closing hours that have been in force during' the pasc six months, as they call in question the bona fides of a number of the signatories whose names appear on the new requisition.

It is not often that land, whether agricultural or pastoral, goes begging in North Otago, and, considering the scramble that usually pre-) vails when a few sections are available for allotment, it might be thought that such a happening was impossible. The public, however, are keenly critical of value, and are not disposed to accept pastoral land, even when wool is in a hign market, at a price which they consider beyond its fair value. Such a construction, says the "Oamaru Mail," can only be placed on the thrice unsuccessful effort that has been made by the Land Board to find a tenant for section 38a, containing 3,248 acres. 3 roods? 34 poles, combined with 32a, ' containing 128 acres 0 roods 18 poles, -i on the Eauroo Hill Estate. This pas-, toral section was not taken up at the. general ballot, and it has since been twice offered, and although the rent has been reduced on each occasion,, the section still fails to find an appli--cant.

A reliable young man seeks era* ploymerit on a farm. MrF. P. Welch has a vacancy for a cowman for station. Mrs H. G. Williams, Lansdowna," requires a young girl as housemaid. An advertiser has for sale a quiet horse broken to saddle and harness. A reward is offered for the recovery of a bunch of keys lost between ~ Dixon street and the Masterton Kail- : way Station. Summer bargains in, drapery and clothing are advertised by Messrs McGruer and Co. The prices quoted will prove interesting reading. The person who took a portmanteau in mistake from the Wellington train on Friday last is asked to return same to tha Masterton Railway Station. Mr T. McCracken announces a special line in go-carts, which will: be sold cheap. These with new and up-to-date furniture are on view at-, his premises opposite Messrs T. Wagg and Co. A garden fete in aid of St. Matthew's Church Building Fund will be ■ held in Mr W. H. Beetham's grounds, Perry street, on Thursday, January20th. The programme will include - sports of all kinds and an open-air ■ concert in the evening. Mr J. Green, of the Royal Lollie ■ Shop J(next to Foresters' Hall, announces that he is prepared to supply the best of home made toffies and can , dies, as well as all kinds of American temperance drinks. Ice cream will be obtainable, and the very.best classes of confectionery retailed. MrGreen should receive a fair share of - public patronage.